Caramel food colouring in cola ‘could cause cancer’

Some chemically enhanced caramel food colorings used in widely consumed cola drinks could cause cancer and should be banned, a US consumer advocacy group has claimed.

Pure caramel is made from melted sugar; but two other versions approved to colour food products include the chemical ammonia and produce compounds shown to cause various cancers in studies of animals, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) said in a statement.

The group is petitioning the Food and Drug Administration to ban the ammonia-containing caramels, which are also used in other dark-coloured soft drinks. >